Chapter 504
Zara stood silently off to the side, and Marina wasn’t planning to give her a hard time.
As long as Zara didn’t get in her face, Marina could just pretend she didn’t exist.
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Daron slipped his arm around Marina’s waist, not even sparing Zara a glance. Instead, he looked down at the slightly sulking Marina in his arms and spoke softly.
“Let me go with you and see what’s up in the kitchen,” he said.
Marina shot him a look and let out a soft huff.
“What’s so interesting about the kitchen?” she grumbled.
Despite her words, she still walked toward the kitchen.
Daron let out a quiet laugh, gently soothing the sulking Marina as he walked with her into the kitchen.
Zara watched from behind, her hands clenched tightly at her sides, her eyes full of envy.
She’d known Daron for years, but she’d never seen him act so humble in front of any woman before.
Zara bit down hard on her lip, pressing so hard that it turned pale.
She pulled a face, looked away, and was about to head to the front hall when she saw Martin had somehow made his way to he backyard. He was standing not far away, watching her with a half-smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.
A flicker of guilt flashed in Zara’s eyes, but she quickly walked over to Martin.
Martin reached out and pulled Zara to his side, a cold smirk playing on his lips.
‘Didn’t you say you were going to team up with me against Daron? So why are you sneaking around to meet her now?” he asked.
Zara shook her head, her voice faltering. “I…”
She was about to explain herself, but instead she looked up at Martin, quickly changing the subject.
You don’t trust me?’ Zara thought, her eyes narrowing.
If you don’t trust me, then why bother teaming up with me?’ she added, her tone a little sharper.
Martin reached out and tilted Zara’s chin up, a cold smirk on his lips.
“Of course I trust you,” he said.
“Given how things are now, even if you tried to crawl back to Daron, there’s no way he’d take you in.”
“Zara, just stay close to me and don’t even think about pulling any tricks,” he warned.
“Otherwise, there won’t be anyone in Vrufield who’ll have your back.”
Zara gritted her teeth, feeling the pressure. She was stuck with Martin now, whether she liked it or not.
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Chapter 504
If she pissed Martin off, she’d be done for in Vrufield.
And with Matthew always playing dirty, she knew she couldn’t afford to slip up.
Zara took a deep breath and looked up at Martin.
“You’re right. There’s nowhere left for me in Vrufield,” she said.
“So yeah, we’re on the same side now.”
Martin smiled in satisfaction and patted Zara’s head.
“That’s the spirit,” he said.
With that, Martin took Zara’s hand and led her outside, a smile on his face as he spoke softly.
“When I saw you talking to Daron earlier, an idea suddenly popped into my head,” he said.
A flicker of confusion crossed Zara’s eyes as she looked up at Martin..
But when she met his gaze, she saw him smiling, though his eyes were predatory, sizing her up like prey.
A sense of foreboding rose in Zara’s heart.
Martin noticed her unease and smiled at her.
“Trust me, this idea won’t do you any harm,” he said.
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“Daron’s always been the one towering over you. Ever thought about what it’d be like if you were the one he had to look up to?” Martin asked, his voice low and tempting.
Zara was floored by Martin’s words.
She took a deep breath, and she couldn’t help but picture that scene in her head.
Her heart started racing for no reason.
“Of course I have,” Zara whispered, her voice carrying a wild edge.
“Same here,” Martin grinned.
“So you’d better stick with me and do exactly what I say,” he said, his tone soft but dangerous.
Zara nodded, her mind completely swept up by Martin’s words.
As soon as Daron walked into the kitchen with Marina, he wrinkled his nose at the heavy smell of food and smoke.
Marina noticed his discomfort and said in a calm voice.
“If you’re not feeling well, just step outside,” she told him.
While she spoke, she grabbed the dinner menu for tonight and started double-checking every detail.
The menu had notes on which ingredients tonight’s guests were allergic to.
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Chapter 504
This was her first time preparing a family dinner, so she couldn’t afford any slip-ups.
Daron stayed right by her side, helping her double-check everything.
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Daron noticed Marina had been quiet the whole time, so he leaned in and asked softly, “Are you still upset about what happened earlier?”
“Are you still upset about what happened earlier?” he asked, his voice gentle.
Marina shot him a glance, her tone cool as she replied.
“I’m not exactly angry,” she said. “But hearing you deny it, and then listening to Zara try to explain herself… it just made me feel pretty awful inside.”
Daron raised an eyebrow.
Marina continued, her tone steady but with a hint of vulnerability. “Do you see me as someone who just causes drama for no reason?”
Daron shook his head. “Of course not.
You’re so reasonable sometimes, it actually drives me crazy,” he said with a wry smile.
Marina let out a soft huff. “If you know I’m not the kind who causes drama for no reason, then why did you just deny it right iway?”
Daron was silent for a few seconds before finally speaking his mind.
I just didn’t want you to feel bad because of Zara,” he said. “And I didn’t want you to get the wrong idea.”
Marina shook her head. “No, it’s that you don’t trust me enough.
You think I can’t stand them, so whenever they’re involved, you assume I’ll get all worked up, and that’s why you nstinctively deny it,” she said.
Marina looked up at Daron, meeting his deep, dark eyes, and spoke softly.
‘Honestly, I don’t really have any hostility toward them. As long as they don’t keep showing up in front of me and causing trouble, I can just pretend they don’t exist,” she said.
‘I get that you’ve treated them like family all these years, and everything that’s happened lately has forced you to make some tough choices,” she added.
“I don’t want to force you, but I just want…”
Daron didn’t let her finish. He pulled Marina into his arms, his voice low and steady,
“Marina,” he murmured.
“No one forced me into this.”
“I know exactly what I’m choosing, and I won’t back down, ever.”
There was a rare seriousness in Daron’s voice, every word heavy with meaning.
“Maybe I’m just cursed when it comes to family,” he admitted, a hint of bitterness in his tone. “The people who should
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Chapter 301
matter most always end up clashing with me.
“But now, you’re the only one I’ve got.”
Marina listened to Daron, her lips pressed together in silence.
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Ever since Hayley’s secrets were exposed, Daron kept up his routine, showing up to work and coming home like nothing had happened. But Marina knew it still weighed on him.
Getting betrayed by one’s own family was a terrible feeling.
She understood why he felt so lost.
Marina reached out and hugged Daron back, her voice gentle.
I’ll always stand by your side, no matter what happens,” she said softly.
“And you’re not alone. You still have your grandpa, your sister, and your maternal grandpa.”
“They’ve always been there for you, quietly supporting you and helping you out behind the scenes.”
Just like my sister has always done.
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